One Shell of a Find!

Treasure Hunt!

Life’s a Beach! What will you find on yours?

From old Spanish coins to shark teeth to beach glass to seashells, every beach has treasures to make it special. The beach's treasures might even be the gorgeous views or spectacular sunsets! We at Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches love to explore, and we would be thrilled if you would join us on our treasure hunts.

Posts Tagged ‘seashells’

Just a couple of weeks ago, soon after Tropical Storm Irma’s 6-foot storm surge wreaked havoc on Jekyll Island, I visited this “Golden Isle” for a much anticipated girl trip. A dear life-long friend and I met in the Jacksonville (JAX) airport, rented a car, and drove the easy-peasy route north to Georgia’s little island paradise. The storm had done quite a bit of damage to many of the beach crossovers and it had devastated the protective dunes, but the state owned barrier island was in the process of returning to normal and was once again open for business.

Jekyll Island after Tropical Storm Irma

Over the long weekend, when the tide was low enough to barefoot it on the sandy seashore, we spent a great deal of time walking and catching up on the spectacular beaches of Jekyll Island (Mary’s Fitbit kept track and recorded our steps at 30+ miles!). Sand dollars were easily spotted dotting the shoreline but the grand prize of beachcombing on this fabulous weekend was hands down the Knobbed Whelk, Georgia’s Official State Seashell. They had been flung up into the rip-rap in abundance by Irma.

Beach Treasures found on Jekyll Island after Tropical Storm Irma

Our first sighting of these Jekyll Island gems happened when we spotted a family -looking very pleased indeed – coming towards us with armloads of something we couldn’t quite figure out. We just knew we had to ask! They were finding perfect Knobbed Whelk specimens hand over fist in the boulders piled along the dunes. They even happily shared some of their bounty with us! Afterwards, being on high alert to spot some of our own one-of-a-kind beach treasures, we began to see Knobbed Whelks partially buried in the sand just at the rolling surf line.

Knobbed Whelk found on Jekyll Island, Georgia

The Knobbed Whelk, as Jekyll Island’s “Your Official Guide” (Fall/Winter 2017) states, “… is the state shell of both Georgia and New Jersey. These big snails are a fairly common animal found along the intertidal beaches and marshes of Jekyll Island.” It goes on to say, “Feel free to take these shells as a souvenir, but only if they’re uninhabited.” The largest one we snagged was over 5 1/2 inches in length but they can grow up to 9 inches long. Also known to more scientific minds as “Busycon Carica,” they range from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Our finds were everywhere on the color scale from light grey-brown (some being streaked with darker browns) to a very dark grey. The low knobs on the shells’ shoulders are a bit of a giveaway but an important fact in identifying a Knobbed Whelk is that the opening of the Knobbed Whelk’s shell is on the right. The Lightning Whelk, on the other hand, is a south paw!

Today’s guest post, including the beautiful beach treasure photographs, is courtesy of Jake and Carla W.

Hi. I’m Jake and my treasure hunting partner is my wife Carla. This is my first post. The first pics are from 7/5/16, and the rest are from the last 2 to 3 months. We live south of Houston in Brazoria county. We treasure hunt in 3 Texas counties: Galveston, Brazoria, and Matagorda.

The last pics we think might be a partial megalodon tooth! I’ve emailed pics to a professor, but we haven’t heard back. Any input on that from the readers of Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches would be appreciated.

As you can see we like to go to the beach. Carla says its the only place we get along (LOL!). Anyway, enjoy the photos and happy hunting. -Jake and Carla.

About the Authors: “Jake and I are both in our 40’s and have been together for a little over three years. We love camping, fishing and shell seeking. We seem to have created an unspoken deal where he teaches me how to catch really big fish and I try to teach him the patience and tenacity needed to find shark teeth. I’m more into shells and driftwood, he’s searching for antique bottles and the occasional pirate treasure chest. To an outsider, we must seem odd, as we can go for hours with very little conversation and be content being with one another and our passions. But it works for us.” ~Carla

A note from our Treasure Hunters:

We simply love to share when it comes to beaches, treasure hunting, beachcombing crafts, and beachy tips. How about you? Do you have a favorite beach you’d like to share with us? Maybe you have some great tips for beach picnics, seaside safety, or seashore activities. Please check out our Submission Guidelines for info on jumping into the fun at Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches. You could be our next Featured Guest Writer!

Last month, I drove down to Lake Jackson to do a Halloween Mad Science event at the mall there, and I couldn’t possibly justify not going to the beach while I was at it! Now, as some of you probably know, there are a good number of options in the area, but I wound up going to Bryan and Quintana because it’s the drive with the best signage (I didn’t need a map to get there, and I didn’t have to ask directions). Now, I have no idea what part of the beach is Bryan and what part is Quintana. The signs sit on opposite sides of the sand road leading onto the beach highway:

Basically, insert road here. These signs are even angled so that they sort of face each other. Anyhow, it was a spectacularly beautiful day! I found a remarkable number of beautiful shell treasures, none of which I took home (I was in the middle of a move, and when I’m moving I have a pretty strong aversion to the acquisition of things, even if they are small things), and I saw a really amazing array of birds.

Seashells galore! (E.G.D.)

So many nice shells! (E.G.D.)

I saw plovers, pelicans, and a family of seagulls that included chicks! At least they looked a lot like the seagulls in coloring, and they were hanging out with the adult gulls. What do you think?

Baby Gulls? (photo by E.G.D.)

Whatever they were, they were super-cute! Anyway, aside from shells and birds, I came across a good many people picnicking, fishing, using metal detectors, walking dogs, and swimming, and I also came across a very clever and enterprising ice cream truck. Here in Texas, a lot of our beaches are actually designated highways, so this system actually works:

Ice cream at the beach, anyone? (photo by E.G.D.)

I didn’t wind up buying anything, but I was amused. In all, it was a really delightful walk, and I certainly get the impression that everyone on the beach that day was having a really wonderful time.

Fun times! (E.G.D.)

Right before I left for home, the shadows were getting long, and I got artsy with my camera. I’m not going to insert a slide show here (though I probably could! I got a whole series of seriously artsy shots), but for fun, here’s an interesting shot of a buried driftwood branch/log. Aaaaaaaaaand that’s the story of my most recent trip to Bryan/Quintana. Fun, right? It’s a lovely beach, and I recommend it to anyone, but bear in mind that there are no restroom or shower facilities, and there didn’t appear to be a lifeguard on duty. On the other hand, there was ice cream! If you’re going to have to choose your amenities, that might be the better way to go on a hot day. Have a great and beachy holiday weekend, everyone! Thanksgiving, not Halloween. Better late than never- E.G.D.

It’s easy to see why these beautiful bivalves are the seashell collector’s dream. Each and every Calico Scallop (Argopecten gibbus) is a colorful, unique, and fun-filled piece of eye candy! They can be found in variations of pink, white, orange, brown, purple. Keeping only one is virtually impossible for even the most tried and true beachcomber! Commonly found on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, they range from Delaware Bay to Florida, into the Gulf of Mexico, and south to much of the Caribbean Sea.

Picture Perfect Calico Scallops

These variegated seashells are especially plentiful and very easy to find undamaged on Florida’s sandy Gulf Coast beaches. The color-splashed Calico Scallops in this collection all hail from the world-renowned shelling beaches of Sanibel Island, Florida.

Picture Perfect Calico Scallops

Growing up to 2 1/2 inches across, Calico Scallops are almost circular in shape and very easy to identify. These seashells have about 20 strong, well defined, smooth (non-scaly) ribs. Look for each shell’s “ears” to be about equal in size.

Seriously, who wouldn’t be tickled pink to have a basket full of these picture perfect beach treasures in their collection?

We’re always looking for ways to use our special beachcombing finds. Here is just one more idea for putting those beach treasures to good use ~ everyday!

You may have heard of worry stones (or pocket stones) – those little, highly polished pieces of gemstone with a slight indention for your thumb. I’ve often seen them for sale near the cash registers of gift shops and kitschy boutiques. They can be kind of pricey.

Rumored to have originated in Ancient Greece, when held between the thumb and forefinger, worry stones are supposed to relieve stress and reduce worries. Light enough to keep in your pocket, you can readily fidget with one in stressful or nerve-racking situations.

There is another version of the pocket stone that doesn’t have the smooth indentation for the thumb. They are called reflection stones and are used as a reminder to stay calm, balanced, grateful, etc. …

“I am very fond of the oyster shell. It is humble and awkward and ugly. It is slate-colored and unsymmetrical. Its form is not primarily beautiful but functional. I make fun of its knobbiness. Sometimes I resent its burdens and excrescences. But its tireless adaptability and tenacity draw my astonished admiration and sometimes even my tears. And it is comfortable in its familiarity, its homeliness, like old garden gloves when have molded themselves perfectly to the shape of the hand. I do not like to put it down. I will not want to leave it.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea

~~~

I simply love beachcombing for oyster shells – the knobbier, the better! Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast beaches are often loaded with these one-of-a-kind beach treasures.

Here are a few interesting Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) tidbits:

Oysters are more than a seafood delicacy! They help the environment in the following ways:

Filtering (adult oysters filter up to 2.5 gallons of water per hour, improving water quality in the process)

Other names: American Oyster, Atlantic Oyster, Common Oyster, Virginia Oyster

Eastern Oysters are plentiful in shallow saltwater bays, lagoons, and estuaries, in depths from 8 to 25 feet – with water temperatures between 28 and 90 degrees F. They are native to the Atlantic shores and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America from Canada to Mexico.

Eastern Oysters range in color from a very light cream or tan to greyish/brown and from grey to black.

The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is the official state shell of both Virginia and Mississippi.

Louisiana’s state gemstone is the cabochon (shaped and polished as opposed to faceted) cut gemstone, made from the Crassostrea virginica! Check it out:Louisiana’s State Gemstone.